1. Field of the Invention
This application relates to compostible compositions and products. More particularly, it concerns unique compostible compositions comprising elastomers and sheets and like products made thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The disposal of solid waste has become a worldwide problem because of its magnitude with great economic and environmental ramifications. As a consequence, producers of disposable products, e.g., diapers, containers, etc., are under increasing pressure to assist in providing a solution, particularly in providing products that will be environmentally acceptable in solid waste landfills. Several approaches have been taken to address this concern. One has been to employ product construction materials that can be degraded by microorganisms or enzymes or other substances that they secret. This is particularly important if the disposalable product will find its way into a compost facility.
There has been a concerted effort to educate the general public concerning the solid waste disposal problems and to get its cooperation in helping to mitigate the problems, e.g., to participate in dividing trash into classes or recyclable items. This has resulted in the use of the term biodegradable to indicate that a material so classified is environmentally acceptable for disposal in solid waste landfills. However, this term appears to be too ambiguous for use by disposable article industries and government agencies so a more specific term has evolved, namely, compostible, which signifies that a material so classified is capable of controlled biological decomposition under predominantly aerobic conditions into material which can be easily and safely stored, handled and used without creating a threat to public health and/or the environment.
Although the environmental aspects of waste disposal have received great attention in recent years, waste disposal problems have concerned disposalable product manufactures for many years resulting in many disclosures for product improvements seeking to assist in mitigation of the problems. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,564,498; 1,979,899; 3,563,244; 3,616,797; 3,654,064 and 3,838,692.
The present invention further addresses the environmental aspects of solid waste disposal of throw-away products and provides unique compositions and products to assist in mitigation thereof.